Sealing device



"LC. MUELLER.

SEALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mus, 1920.

1,385,749. I Patented Jilly 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

i NE INVENTOA i Y 7mm: 4mm 2". BY 24 '2 A TTORNEY TrC. MUELLER.

SEALING DEVICE. APPLICATION FiLED JAN-23', 1920.

Patented July 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- i I l n A TTORNEY I'llillll' I! l THEODORE G. MUELLER,OF TOIPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF L. KEMPER, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

SEALING nnvrcn.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented J 26 1921.

Application filed January 23,1920. Serial No. 353,468.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE C. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing Devices; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompany ingdrawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to a sealing dGVlCG, particularly adapted toapply a seal by the action of heat so thata container will be closedagainst unauthorized inspection.

Heretofore, containers have usually been sealed by the utilization of acertain fusible material, such as wax or the like, but the fusiblematerial had to be melted during its application and the necessity foremploying a flame for the purpose is more or less objectionable.

I have provided means whereby the seal may be fused so as to flowoverthe container to efficiently seal it and without the necessity ofemploying a flame, such as a lamp, candle or the like.

According to my invention, the seal may be initially placed upon thecontainer or package in wafer form and subjected to the action of anelectrically heated apparatus to fuse it, there being enough pressureapplied to cause the fused material of which the wafer is formed to flowinto the creases and crevices of the container or package so that anefficient application of the seal will be assured.

In the drawings, p

. Figure I is a perspective view of a sealing device constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. II is an enlarged cross sectional view through the electriccontacts in the circuit for energizing the heating element.

Fig. III is a sectional view through the seal or wafer to be applied tothe package or container.

Fig. IV is a vertical cross sectional view through the sealing device,and i Fig. V is a transverse sectional view on the line V-V of Fig. IV,looking in the direction of the arrows. 1 e

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a substantiallyrectangular frame consisting of the sides 1 and 2, the top 3 and bottomor floor 4:, the sides being extended slightly below thebottom toprovide spacing tensive with the depending flange 7 sur-' rounding thecentral opening 8 so that the bottom or floor 4 will be spaced above thedevice to be sealed and the flange 7 is of sufficient depth to maintainthe flowing material wafer within a confined space so that a neatappearance will be presented when the sealing device is removed.

The sides 1 and 2 are provided with elongated slots 9 and 10 in whichthe guide pins 11 and 12 of the heater-actuating frame operate. Theheater-actuating frame is shown as consisting of a substantially.inverted,

U-shaped member having side bars 13 and 14 in which the pins 11 and 12are respectively connected, and the bars 13 and 14 are connected attheir upper ends by a head or cross bar 15, on which is mounted a handle16 having a central tubular portion 17, into which telescopes a tube 18,rigid on the top 3 of the frame and within the tube 18 is an expansionspring 19, one end of which bears against the upper closed end of thetube 17 so that the normal tendency will be for the yoke-shaped frame tomaintain itself in extended position, as shown in Fig. I, so as toretract the heating element 20 away from the floor 4 of the main frame.

side bar 13 by a connection 21 and to the,

insulation blocks 22 and 23 on the member 14: by conducting fasteningdevices 24 and 25, one of which serves as a'positive conductor and theother a negative conductor for the ONE-HALF T0 WINDOM legs or-flanges 5and 6, coex-.-

' are in circuit with a connector 30 adapted to be electricallyconnected to a suitable source 'the purpose intended.

The blocks 23 and 24 carrying contacts 26 and 27, which are adapted tomove lIltO and out ofengagement with the' spring contacts 28 and 29 onthe side 2 of the main frame. and located at opposite sides of the. slot10,

as clearly shown in Fig. I, and these contacts of supply as, forexample, acommercial circuit. Therefore, when the contacts 26 and 27bear against contacts 28tand 29, the film ment in the casing will beenergized so as to generate heat and communicate the; heat to the casingso that the sealing wafer 31 may be caused to' fuse and adhere to thecontainer or pack-age to which it is to be applied:

,. and I have,'therefor'e, shown a waferin Fig.

I prefer to construct the seal of substantially wafer form withgradually decreasing cross se'ct'ioi'ial area toward the center III ashavingga:relativelyfiat top 32' and a wafer is placed in the opening8,the periphconcave, nether face 33*so that when the eral' edge 3 l'willbear against thecontainer or package with the central portion spacedtherefrom. The operator may then press upon} the handle 16 to force thefuser or heater casing 20 against the top side 32 of thefwa'f'er with; agentle pressure and a'sithe member 2O"moves into wafer-engagingposition, the circuit will be closed, causing a suiticient rise intemperature of member 20 to fuse the wax" and cause it' to flow over thesurface of the container or packagei original contour of the-wafer willbe maintained by the flange 7 since thewax will not" now past the edgeofthe opening and after the wafer'has been"fused,'the*operatorreleases-the pressure on" handle 16, permitting the expansion'spring 19to raise the yoke shaped" member and w th it, the heater,

whereuponthe circuitis broken. The wafer may be permitted' to'cool sothat Whenthe sealing device isremoved, a seal ofneat ap pearance willh'ave been appliedf' to'the contamer or package.

The operation of sealing requires the eX- penditureof a minimumamount'oftime and a number; of successive operations i may be performedin an expeditious manner byfir'st' introducing: a wafer in the opening8; press: ing upon the handle 16, releasingthehandle, removing thesealing device, and" applying it to the-nextfconta iner orpackage withan additional waferinthe opening 8. j

F rom the foregoing be apparent it will; that the devic is" 0 simplecbnstr'uction,

easilyoperated', and thataneiiicient and neat seal may be applied: to acontainer or pack- The age without the necessity of employing a flame tomelt the fusible material of which the wafer is made.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown the opening 8 as round butit is obviousthat it may have any contour and that the member'QO mayhave a die on its under sideso that certain indicia may be impressed onthe face .32 ofthewafer at thesame time that it isbeing-fused on thecontainer or package. 'VVhat ters-Patent is:

1. In a sealing device, a frame having an opening to receive a wafer offusible mate rial, and a heater having movement with re- I claim anddesire to secure by Letspect to said frame, the heater being receivablewithinthe opening;,l V

2. In a sealing" device, a holder for a fusible seal, and asealfuser'and presser cooper.

ating therewith to bodily apply the seal to p the article to which itisto be attached.

[3; Ina sealing device, a member having an opening for, a fusible wafer,anaa heatable pressure device for applyingheat and pressure to thewaferjwhile in the opening. 4.. In a sealing device, a member forreceiving a fusibl 'i afer having 'anfopeni'ng lIlliO whlch a wafer maybe placed,-a heatable pressure device,- the cross sectionalarea of whichis co-extensive with said opening,

and meansfor moving'fthe pressure device i into wafer-pressing position.

5. In a sealing emcee rectangular frame having a wafer receivingopening, a supple mental", yoke-shaped frame, 'the side bars of whichpass through slots in the top of the-rectangular frame,- and a heatablepresser head'carriedhy the' sidebars of the yoke shaped frame andmovable into and. out of said epemng; 1 r

6. In a sealing devlce, a frame havlnga fusible-wafer receiving-means,anda wafer v framing opening} for sealing material, the

contour of which determines thecon'tour of the applied s'eal-",- a.Presser head carried by the frame having'movement into and out oftheopening, thecro'ss sectional area of the presser head being co-extensivewiththat' of the ope ing, andmeans for heating the head when-it movesinto pressing-position.

8. In a sealing device, a frame having a fusible-Wafer receivingopening, a supplemental frame slidable with respect to the first named'frame; electrical heating ele- 'ment carried by the supplementalframea'nd" havinga face coextensive with the open- 1ng,' means forslidmgtheframe-jto brnig the heating elemc nt'- intocontact with a'x'vafer'inthe opening; and contactsbetween the two frames and mounted tocomplete a circuit to the first named frame, an electrically en- 10 Whenthe supplemental frame is moved in ergized heater carried by thesupplemental one direction and to break the circuit When frame andhaving contacts to engage the conthe supplemental frame is moved in theoptacts on the first named frame, said heater posite direction. being ofsuch form as to be receivable Within 9. In a sealing device, a vertical,rectanthe wafer-receiving opening. 15 gular frame having an opening inthe floor In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. thereof to receivea Wafer of fusible material, a secondary frame slidable with respectTHEODORE C. MUELLER.

